Isotope geochemistry of the Miocene and Quaternary carbonate rocks in Rabigh area,Red Sea coast,Saudi Arabia

The Rabigh area, a coastal region north of Jeddah city, Saudi Arabia contains raised Quaternary coral reefal terraces and reworked coral fragments mixed with sand and gravel. This area has a thin exposure Lower Miocene shallow marine carbonate rocks that laterally pass into evaporites. The Miocene carbonate and evaporite rocks conformably overly the Lower Miocene siliciclastic sequence, are in turn capped by the Harrat basaltic boulders. The Miocene carbonates are made up of dolomitic packstone, wackestone and mudstone, whereas the overlying Quaternary reefal terraces are composed of coral boundstone and grainstones.The Quaternary reefal terraces of Rabigh area have been dated using the uranium-series dating method to obtain precise dates for these corals. The calculated ages (128, 212 and 235 ka) indicate that deposition took place during high sea level stands associated with interglacial times during Oxygen Isotope Stages (OIS) 5 and 7. The youngest age (128 ka) clearly corresponds to stage 5e of the last interglacial period. The obtained ages correlate well with those of the emerged reefs on the Sudanese and Egyptian coasts at the western side of the Red Sea. The broad distribution of wet climate, pluvial deposits on the continents and high sea level stands indicate a wide geographical range of the interglacial events of the Oxygen Isotope Stages (OIS) 5 and 7.The oxygen and carbon isotopic composition of the Miocene and Quaternary carbonate rocks in Rabigh area show a broad range of δ¹³C and δ¹⁸O. The Quaternary carbonate rocks have significantly higher δ¹³C than the Miocene ones, but low δ¹³C values of the Miocene samples likely indicate a high contribution of carbon from organic sources at the time of deposition. Linear trends are evident in both groups of samples supporting the likelihood of secondary alteration.     

Holocene shorelines and tectonic movements in eastern Saudi Arabia

Although Quaternary marine terraces have been reported from eastern Saudi Arabia at heights of up to 150 m, unambiguous shoreline deposits could be identified only within 3 m of present-day High Water and close to the modern shoreline. Unaltered aragonitic mollusc shells from five such deposits yielded ¹⁴C ages of 3700–6000 yr B.P. Comparison of their elevations with those of coeval deposits on the Zagros coast of Iran demonstrates the relative stability of the Saudi shore of the Gulf during the late Holocene.     

High Precision Thermal Ionization Mass Spectrometric Dating of Corals and Its Application to Paleo—Environmental Study

Global change has become a hot spot in Quaternary geology,and high-precision,high-sensitivity dating is also an urgent problem which needs to be solved.This paper presents some achievements in U-servies dating of marine corals by thermal ionization mass spectrometry (TIMS) and its application to the study of paleo-environments.Recently,coral samples were determined for their ages on a MAT-262 mass spectrometer and satisfactory results have been obtained.     

Late Quaternary environmental changes in the Pearl River mouth region, China

This study presents findings concerning Late Quaternary environmental changes in the Pearl River mouth region, China based on the study of over 300 boreholes. Out of these, 35 boreholes are selected for the reconstruction of transects across the deltaic plain and estuary. 39 radiocarbon dates obtained from these boreholes are used to help define the chronology of stratigraphic units present including two terrestrial units (T1 and T2) and two marine units (M1 and M2). Diatom assemblages are studied in 6 boreholes revealing similarities and differences between the two marine units. Before the area was inundated by the last interglacial sea (MIS 5), an older terrestrial unit of sand and gravel (T2) was laid down in a number of palaeo-valleys. During the last interglacial period, an older marine unit of silt and clay (M2) was laid down which was subsequently subaerially exposed when sea-level regressed during the last glacial period (MIS 4-2) causing the uppermost section to be weathered. During the same period, a younger terrestrial unit of sand and gravel (T1) was deposited along palaeo-river channels. Around the early Holocene before 8.2 cal. ka BP, the postglacial rise in sea level initiated a new phase of sedimentation in the outer part of the estuary, characterised by the high percentages of marine diatoms in the sediments. In the early Holocene, strong monsoon freshwater discharge resulted in sedimentation of a fine-sand layer in the inner part of the estuary. After 8.2 cal. ka BP, rapid rises in sea level caused widespread marine inundation and sedimentation. The diatom data suggest that the relative sea level associated with the M2 and M1 units were both at similar levels. Because the M2 unit is typically recorded at altitudes of 15 m and 20 m below the present sea level, this is likely to be a result of long-term subsidence. Although numerical dating of the pre-M1 units has not been made in the present study, the chronology of these units can be inferred from uranium-series ages and optically stimulated luminescence dating obtained from the adjacent coastal waters of Hong Kong. The T1 unit has yielded ages of about 30.0 cal. ka BP while the M2 unit has yielded ages about 130.0 cal. ka BP confirming their MIS 4-2 and MIS 5 ages respectively.     

Late Cenozoic fluvial dynamics of the River Tana,Kenya, an uplift dominated record

The Late Cenozoic development of the River Tana in Kenya has been reconstructed for its central reach near its confluence with the River Mutonga, which drains the Mount Kenya region. Age control for this system has been provided by K–Ar and Ar–Ar dating. Between 3.21 and 2.65 Ma a major updoming occurred, in relation to the formation of the Kenyan rift valley. The tilting related to this doming has been reconstructed from lava flows that preserve former river gradients. Linear projection of these trends to the current rift valley rim suggests a net updoming of the eastern Gregory Rift valley by at least ∼1 km during 3.21–2.65 Ma. In contrast, since 2.65 Ma the Tana system has been mainly subject to relatively minor epeirogenic uplift. Changing climatic conditions combined with continuing uplift yielded a typical staircase of strath terraces with at least 10 distinct levels. A more detailed reconstruction of the incision rates since 215 ka has been made, by correlating mineralogically fingerprinted volcaniclastic Tana deposits with dated tephras in a lake record. These volcaniclastic sediments were deposited during glacial periods, contemporaneous with lahars. The reconstructed incision rates for the three youngest terraces are ∼0.1–0.2 mm a⁻¹, thus considerably faster than the overall average rate of valley incision since the Mid-Pliocene, of 0.06 mm a⁻¹. A plausible uplift history has been reconstructed using the estimated ages of the Tana terraces and marine terraces on the Indian Ocean coastline. The result suggests an increase in the rate of incision by the River Tana at ∼0.9 Ma, an observation typical in most European river terrace staircases. The reconstructed Late Quaternary development of Tana valley indicates that a similar Quaternary uplift mechanism has operated in both Europe and East Kenya, suggesting a globally applicable process.     

Quaternary hinterland evolution of the active Banda Arc: Surface uplift and neotectonic deformation recorded by coral terraces at Kisar,Indonesia

Coral terrace surveys and U-series ages of coral yield a surface uplift rate of ∼0.5 m/ka for Kisar Island, which is an emergent island in the hinterland of the active Banda arc–continent collision. Based on this rate, Kisar first emerged from the ocean as recently as ∼450 ka. These uplifted terraces are gently warped in a pattern of east–west striking folds. These folds are strike parallel to more developed thrust-related folds of similar wavelength imaged by a seismic reflection profile just offshore. This deformation shows that the emergence of Kisar is influenced by forearc closure along the south-dipping Kisar Thrust. However, the pinnacle shape of Kisar and the protrusion of its metamorphic rocks through the forearc basin sediments also suggest a component of extrusion along shear zones or active doming.Coral encrusts the island coast in many locations over 100 m above sea level. Terrace morphology and coral ages are best explained by recognizing major surfaces as mostly growth terraces and minor terraces as mostly erosional into older terraces. All reliable and referable coral U-series ages determined by MC-ICP-MS correlate with marine isotope stage (MIS) 5e (118–128 ka). The only unaltered coral samples are found below 6 m elevation; however an unaltered Tridacna (giant clam) shell in growth position at 95 m elevation yields a U-series age of 195 ± 31 ka, which corresponds to MIS 7. This age agrees with the best-fit uplift model for the island. Loose deposits of unaltered coral fragments found at elevations between 8 and 20 m yield U-series ages of <100 years and may represent paleotsunami deposits from previously undocumented tectonic activity in the region.     

The timing of sea-level high-stands during Marine Isotope Stages 7.5 and 9: Constraints from the uranium-series dating of fossil corals from Henderson Island

Direct dating of fossil coral reefs using the U-series chronometer provides an important independent test of the Milankovitch orbital forcing theory of climate change. However, well-dated fossil corals pre-dating the last interglacial period (>130 thousand years ago; ka) are scarce due to, (1) a lack of sampling localities, (2) insufficient analytical precision in U-series dating methods, and (3) diagenesis which acts to violate the assumption of closed-system U-series isotopic decay in fossil corals. Here we present 50 new high-precision U-series age determinations for fossil corals from Henderson Island, an emergent coral atoll in the central South Pacific. U-series age determinations associated with the Marine Isotope Stage (MIS) 9 interglacial and MIS 7.5 interstadial periods are reported. The fossil corals show relatively little open-system U-series behaviour in comparison to other localities with fossil coral reefs formed prior to the last glacial cycle, however, open-system U-series behaviour is still evident in most of the dated corals. In particular, percent-level shifts in the [²³⁰Th/²³⁸U]_act composition are observed, leading to conventional U-series ages that are significantly younger or older than the true sample age. This open-system U-series behaviour is not accounted for by any of the open-system U-series models, indicating that new models should be derived. The new U-series ages reported here support and extend earlier findings reported in Stirling et al. (2001), providing evidence of prolific coral reef development on Henderson Island at ∼320 ka, most likely correlated with MIS 9.3, and subsequent reef development at ∼307 ka during MIS 9.1, while relative sea-level was potentially ∼20 m lower than during MIS 9.3. The U-series ages for additional well-preserved fossil corals are suggestive of minor reef development on Henderson Island during MIS 7.5 (245-230 ka) at 240.3 ± 0.8 and 234.7 ± 1.3 ka. All U-series observations are consistent with the Milankovitch theory of climate change, in terms of the timing of onset and termination of the dated interglacial and interstadial periods. The best preserved samples also suggest that the oceanic ²³⁴U/²³⁸U during MIS 9 and MIS 7.5 was within five permil of the modern open ocean composition.     

How precise are U-series coral ages?

U-series dating of fossil reef corals is a well established and widely applied technique in paleoclimate research. Many fossil corals, however, show evidence for post-depositional diagenetic alteration, and it is generally accepted that the accuracy of U-series coral ages is more limited due to coral diagenesis than analytical precision. In recent years, three models have been published that try to correct the effects of diagenesis and allow the calculation of model ages [Thompson W. G., Spiegelmann M. W., Goldstein S. L., and Speed R. C. (2003) An open-system model for U-series age determinations of fossil corals. Earth and Planetary Science Letters210, 365-381; Villemant B., and Feuillet N. (2003) Dating open systems by the ²³⁸U-²³⁴U-²³⁰Th method: application to Quaternary reef terraces. Earth and Planetary Science Letters210, 105-118; Scholz D., Mangini A., and Felis T. (2004) U-series dating of diagenetically altered fossil reef corals. Earth and Planetary Science Letters218, 163-178].Here, we assess the age variability of both conventional ²³⁰Th/U-dating and the three models by application to different sub-samples of individual coral specimens. The age variability, estimated as the 2σ-standard deviation on the individual ages, is compared with the errors quoted by the different methods. Our results show that the errors of conventional ²³⁰Th/U-dating as well as those of the method of Thompson et al. (2003) do not account for the true age variability. The age variability of both methods is in the range of the errors given by the models of Villemant and Feuillet (2003) and Scholz et al. (2004).Furthermore, we show that the widely used reliability criteria are not sufficient to identify all diagenetically altered corals. In contrast, analysis of different sub-samples of one coral specimen allows (i) to estimate the real age variability, (ii) to test if the assumptions of the models are fulfilled, and (iii) to investigate the diagenetic processes in more detail. Thus, this method should generally be applied to obtain more reliable U-series coral ages and errors.     

Anomalously high uplift rates along the Ventura—Santa Barbara Coast, California—tectonic implications

The NW—SE trending segments of the California coastline from Point Arena to Point Conception (500 km) and from Los Angeles to San Diego (200 km) generally parallel major right-lateral strike-slip fault systems. Minor vertical crustal movements associated with the dominant horizontal displacements along these fault systems are recorded in local sedimentary basins and slightly deformed marine terraces. Typical maximum uplift rates during Late Quaternary time are about 0.3 m/ka, based on U-series ages of corals and amino-acid age estimates of fossil mollusks from the lowest emergent terraces.In contrast, the E–W-trending segments of the California coastline between Point Conception and Los Angeles (200 km) parallel predominantly northward-dipping thrust and high-angle reverse faults of the western Transverse Ranges. Along this coast, marine terraces display significantly greater vertical deformation. Amino-acid age estimates of mollusks from elevated marine terraces along the Ventura—Santa Barbara coast imply anomalously high uplift rates of between 1 and 6 m/ka over the past 40 to 100 ka. The deduced rate of terrace uplift decreases from Ventura to Los Angeles, conforming with a similar trend observed by others in contemporary geodetic data.The more rapid rates of terrace uplift in the western Transverse Ranges reflect N—S crustal shortening that is probably a local accommodation of the dominant right-lateral shear strain along coastal California.     

Holocene coastal uplift in the western Pacific Rim in the context of late Quaternary uplift

This paper reviews recent studies of Holocene coastal uplift in tectonically active areas near the plate boundaries of the western Pacific Rim. Emergent Holocene terraces exist along the coast of North Island of New Zealand, the Huon Peninsula of Papua New Guinea, the Japanese Islands, and Taiwan. These terraces have several features in common. All comprise series of subdivided terraces. The highest terrace is a constructional terrace, underlain by estuarine or marine deposits, and the lower terraces are erosional, cutting into transgressive deposits or bedrock. The highest terrace records the culmination of Holocene sea-level rise at ca. 6–6.5 ka BP. Lower terraces were coseismically uplifted. Repeated major earthquakes have usually occurred at ka intervals and meter-scale uplift. The maximum uplift rate and number of terraces are surprisingly similar, about 4 m/ka and seven to four major steps in North Island, Huon Peninsula, and Japan. Taiwan, especially along the east coast of the Coastal Range, is different, reaching a maximum uplift rate of 15 m/ka with 10 subdivided steps. They record a very rapid uplift. Comparison between short-term (Holocene) and long-term since the last interglacial maximum (sub-stage 5e) uplift rates demonstrates that a steady uplift rate (Huon Peninsula) or accelerated uplift toward the present (several areas of Japan and North Island) has continued at least since isotope sub-stage 5e. Rapid uplift in eastern Taiwan probably started only in the early Holocene, judging from the absence of any older marine terraces. Most of the causative faults for the coastal uplift may be offshore reverse faults, branched from the main plate boundary fault, but some of them are onshore faults, which deformed progressively with time.     

Sea-level history of the past two interglacial periods: new evidence from U-series dating of reef corals from south Florida

As a future warm-climate analog, much attention has been directed to studies of the Last Interglacial period or marine isotope substage (MIS) 5.5, which occurred ～120,000 years ago. Nevertheless, there are still uncertainties with respect to its duration, warmth and magnitude of sea-level rise. Here we present new data from tectonically stable peninsular Florida and the Florida Keys that provide estimates of the timing and magnitude of sea-level rise during the Last Interglacial period. The Last Interglacial high sea stand in south Florida is recorded by the Key Largo Limestone, a fossil reef complex, and the Miami Limestone, an oolitic marine sediment. Thirty-five new, high-precision, uranium-series ages of fossil corals from the Key Largo Limestone indicate that sea level was significantly above present for at least 9000 years during the Last Interglacial period, and possibly longer. Ooids from the Miami Limestone show open-system histories with respect to U-series dating, but show a clear linear trend toward an age of ～120 ka, correlating this unit with the Last Interglacial corals of the Key Largo Limestone. Older fossil reefs at three localities in the Florida Keys have ages of ～200 ka and probably correlate to MIS 7. These reefs imply sea level near or slightly above present during the penultimate interglacial period. Elevation measurements of both the Key Largo Limestone and the Miami Limestone indicate that local (relative) sea level was at least 6.6 m, and possibly as much as 8.3 m higher than present during the Last Interglacial period.     

Lateglacial and early Holocene surface exposure ages of glacial boulders in the Taiwanese high mountain range

Glacial landforms and sediments mapped in three presently unglaciated mountain massifs, the Nanhuta Shan, the Hsueh Shan and the Yushan, support the concept of repeated, multi-stage glaciations in the Taiwanese high mountain range during the late Pleistocene. New results from surface exposure dating using in situ produced cosmogenic ¹⁰Be measured in samples taken from erratic and moraine boulders in Nanhuta Shan at altitudes between 3100 and 3500 m are presented here. The results confirm independent and previously reported Optically Stimulated Luminescence (OSL) ages and ¹⁰Be exposure ages from glacial deposits in the same area and suggest a Lateglacial and early Holocene glaciation, the so called Nanhuta glacier advance with two substages at about 12–15 ka and 9.5 ka BP. The respective equilibrium line altitudes (ELA) were calculated at 3340 m and 3440 m with corresponding ELA depressions of 610 ± 100 m and 510 ± 100 m relative to the present day (theoretical) ELA, which is estimated to be at about 3950 ± 100 m in Taiwan. Large-scale erosional landforms indicate a much wider glacier extent during an earlier stage, which is not dated in Nanhuta Shan so far. Luminescence dating from near Hsueh Shan suggests an age of marine isotope stage (MIS) 4 for this stage.     

Late Holocene marine terraces of the Cartagena region,southern Caribbean: The product of neotectonism or a former high stand in sea-level?

The detailed stratigraphic survey and paleontological study (mollusks, corals, foraminifera and ostracods) of four low-level, ～3 m, marine terrace sections: Punta Canoas, Manzanillo del Mar, Playa de Oro, and Tierra Bomba Island, from the Cartagena region, southern Caribbean, supplemented with 22 radiocarbon dates, reveals that the northern terraces were deposited as parasequences in a clastic depositional system compared to the Tierra Bomba Island succession that was deposited in a carbonate depositional system between ～3600 and ～1700 cal yrs BP. Drier conditions and the southern location of the ITCZ at about 3 ka triggered stronger easterly Trades and more dynamic southwestward sediment drift fed by the Magdalena River mouth, thus promoting the formation of sand spits that ultimately isolated the Cienaga de Tesca coastal lagoon from the Caribbean Sea. Our estimates support the hypothesis that the present position of the terraces is the product of neotectonism rather than a higher 3 ka, sea-level. Upheaval of the terraces varies between ～3.8 mmyr^?1 at Punta Canoas and ～2.2 mmyr^?1 at Tierra Bomba to ～1.5 mmyr^?1 at Manzanillo del Mar and Playa de Oro terraces. Our study corroborates previous contentions on the role of mud diapirism and the dynamics of the Dique Fault as late Holocene upheaval mechanisms.     

Sr-Isotope record of Quaternary marine terraces on the California coast and off Hawaii

Strontium-isotopic ratios of dated corals have been obtained from submerged reefs formed during Quaternary glacial periods off the Hawaiian islands. These data, combined with data from deep-sea sediments, tightly constrain the secular variation of marine ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr for the past 800,000 yr. Although long-term trends are apparent, no significant (>0.02‰), rapid (<100,000 yr) excursions in ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr were resolved nor did we observe any samples with ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr greater than that of modern seawater. Strontium in mollusks from elevated marine terraces formed during interglacial periods on the southern California coast show resolvable and consistent variations in ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr which, when compared to the trend of Quaternary marine ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr, can be used to infer uplift rates and define approximate ages for the higher terraces. The Sr-isotope age estimates indicate that uplift rates vary among crustal blocks and were not necessarily constant with time. No contrast in Sr-isotopic ratios between similar-age Hawaiian and California fossils was observed, confirming that any change in marine ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr from glacial to interglacial periods must be small. A realistic appraisal of the potential of Sr-isotope stratigraphy for chronometric applications in the Quaternary suggests that the technique will be limited to relatively coarse distinctions in age.     

Dating fluvial terraces by Th/U on pedogenic carbonate, Wind River Basin, Wyoming

Reliable and precise ages of Quaternary pedogenic carbonate can be obtained with ²³⁰Th/U dating by thermal ionization mass spectrometry applied to carefully selected milligram-size samples. Datable carbonate can form within a few thousand years of surface stabilization allowing ages of Quaternary deposits and surfaces to be closely estimated. Pedogenic carbonate clast-rinds from gravels of glacio-fluvial terraces in the Wind River Basin have median concentrations of 14 ppm U and 0.07 ppm ²³²Th, with median (²³⁰Th/²³²Th) = 270, making them well suited for ²³⁰Th/U dating. Horizons as thin as 0.5 mm were sampled from polished slabs to reduce averaging of long (≥10⁵ yr), and sometimes visibly discontinuous, depositional histories. Dense, translucent samples with finite ²³⁰Th/U ages preserve within-rind stratigraphic order in all cases. Ages for terraces WR4 (167,000 ± 6,400 yr) and WR2 (55,000 ± 8600 yr) indicate a mean incision rate of 0.26 ± 0.05 m per thousand years for the Wind River over the past glacial cycle, slower than inferred from cosmogenic-nuclide dating. Terrace WR3, which formed penecontemporaneously with the final maximum glacial advance of the penultimate Rocky Mountain (Bull Lake) glaciation, has an age of 150,000 ± 8300 yr indicating that it is broadly synchronous with the penultimate global ice volume maximum.     

230Th/234U dating of Holocene tufas: possibilities and problems

High-resolution chronologies in continental carbonate deposits such as tufas are required for detailed palaeoclimatic and environmental studies. This work set out to establish if high-resolution U-series dating of detritus-rich Holocene tufas is routinely possible. The study centres on a paludal Holocene tufa from southern England that already has an existing Holocene chronology, based on ¹⁴C and supported by biostratigraphy, against which to compare U-series dates. The results show that significant detrital contamination combined with low initial U concentrations, and short time for ingrowth of radiogenic ²³⁰Th make high-resolution U-series dating of Holocene tufa very difficult. Moreover, a single (²³⁰Th/²³²Th)_initial value to correct for the presence of detrital ²³⁰Th is not appropriate at the study site, a finding that may apply to most Holocene tufas. Total sample dissolution of coeval samples demonstrates considerable variability in the isotopic composition of the detritus. The total sample dissolution data are too scattered to constrain chronologies at the required resolution and may indicate the incorporation of a ²³⁰Th-rich component in the detritus.     

Late Cenozoic surface uplift,basaltic volcanism,and incision by the River Tigris around Diyarbakır,SE Turkey

We document the staircase of terraces of the River Tigris in the Diyarbakır area of SE Turkey, in the northern Arabian Platform, and improve control on the ages of these terrace deposits by dating of overlying basalt flows using the unspiked K–Ar technique. These fluvial terraces are formed of polymict gravel, including clasts derived from the Anatolian metamorphic terrane farther north as well as of local basalt. At least 9 Tigris terraces have been recognised so far, the highest of which, ∼200 m above present river level, marks the local transition from stacked deposition to fluvial incision, the timing of which is bounded between the mid Late Miocene and the Middle Pliocene. Our K–Ar dating indicates a hiatus in fluvial incision in the late Early Pleistocene, as basalts dated to 1.22 ± 0.02 and 1.07 ± 0.03 Ma overlie Tigris gravels at very similar levels, ∼60–70 m above the present river. The lower terraces record the subsequent entrenchment of the modern Tigris valley following an increase in incision rates in the early Middle Pleistocene, evident from the disposition of younger basalt, dated to 0.43 ± 0.02 Ma, capping fluvial gravel only ∼21–22 m above the present river level. Numerical modelling can account for the observed uplift history, as the response to coupling between surface processes and induced flow in the lower crust, with the mobile lower-crust thin (∼5–7 km thick), consistent with the known presence of a thick layer of mafic underplating at the base of the crust beneath the Arabian Platform. Electronic supplementary material  The online version of this article (doi:) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.     

Late Pleistocene (Last Interglacial) terrace deposits, Bahia Coyote, Baja California Sur, México

Late Pleistocene age terrace deposits are exposed in the narrow cliffed coastal plain of Bahia Coyote, Baja California Sur, resting unconformably on the lagoonal-shallow water volcaniclastics of the early Miocene Cerro Colorado Member of the El Cien Formation. The terrace is dissected by widely spaced arroyos and partically covered by alluvial fans in the inner and central areas. The marine deposits vary in thickness from 0.5 to 10 m and were laid down in pre-existing erosional channels and depressions in the Pleistocene landscape. The sequence begins with a cobble conglomerate with oyster shells, overlain by poorly bedded molluscan-rich bioclastic sands and coral rubble, beds of massive Porites in growth position and coral-rhodolith sands and marls. Beach sands and gravels and coastal dunes cap the sequence.Samples of Porites panamensis selected for U/Th dating are well-preserved aragonite (>95%). Preliminary results yield U/Th ages of 109–209 ka but the corals have initial δ ²³⁴U values in excess of modern seawater values. This indicates open-system behavior and uncertainty associated with the ages. A corrected age for the top of the massive Porites unit suggests that the corals grew during the last interglacial, marine isotope stage (MIS) 5e sea level high stand.Assuming global sea level during MIS 5e was ca. 4–5 m above present-day sea level (McCulloch and Esat, 2000) and the growth position of the corals was 1–5 m below sea level, the terraces have been uplifted between 12 and 25 m (12–15 cm/kyr). This is consistent with other terrace-based uplift rates for the central Baja California peninsula, north of the La Paz fault.     

Holocene coastal evolution and uplift mechanisms of the northeastern Raukumara Peninsula,North Island,New Zealand

The coastal geomorphology of the northeastern Raukumara Peninsula, New Zealand, is examined with the aim of determining the mechanisms of Holocene coastal uplift. Elevation and coverbed stratigraphic data from previously interpreted coseismic marine terraces at Horoera and Waipapa indicate that, despite the surface morphology, there is no evidence that these terraces are of marine or coseismic origin. Early Holocene transgressive marine deposits at Hicks Bay indicate significant differences between the thickness of preserved intertidal infill sediments and the amount of space created by eustatic sea level rise, therefore uplift did occur during early Holocene evolution of the estuary. The palaeoecology and stratigraphy of the sequence shows no evidence of sudden land elevation changes. Beach ridge sequences at Te Araroa slope gradually toward the present day coast with no evidence of coseismic steps. The evolution of the beach ridges was probably controlled by sediment supply in the context of a background continuous uplift rate. No individual dataset uniquely resolves the uplift mechanism. However, from the integration of all evidence we conclude that Holocene coastal uplift of this region has been driven by a gradual, aseismic mechanism. An important implication of this is that tectonic uplift mechanisms do vary along the East Coast of the North Island. This contrasts with conclusions of previous studies, which have inferred Holocene coastal uplift along the length of the margin was achieved by coseismic events. This is the first global example of aseismic processes accommodating uplift at rates of >1 mm yr⁻¹ adjacent to a subduction zone and it provides a valuable comparison to subduction zones dominated by great earthquakes.     

滇西北丽江地区石鼓古湖的发现及其在现代金沙江河谷发育中的意义

在云南石鼓"长江第一湾"附近河段两岸发现了10多处典型的第四纪湖相沉积物露头,它们构成了金沙江第二、三、四级阶地的基座。热释光(TL)和U系法年龄测定及磁性地层学研究结果表明,该套湖相沉积物中上部的时代属于243.3～88.0kaBP的中更新世晚期至晚更新世早期,上覆的第四级阶地沉积物的年龄为88.0～80.9kaBP。湖相沉积物的粒度、地球化学和粘土矿物分析结果表明,其沉积环境有由温湿向湿热转化的趋势。根据对玉龙雪山更新世冰川作用的研究,石鼓古湖最初应是玉龙雪山西麓中更新世早期玉龙冰期冰碛物堰塞金沙江河谷而成的,中更新世晚期丽江冰期的冰水沉积物进一步加以堰塞,直至8万多年前被金沙江侵蚀而再次贯通。